Despite Sony's suit, firm moves ahead

Connectix says it is releasing a new software program to help Macs use Sony's PlayStation, even though Sony filed suit to block the software.

January 2, 20024:43 PM PST

Connectix said today it is releasing a new software program that allows
Macs to run games designed for Sony's PlayStation console--this in spite of
a lawsuit filed yesterday by Sony Computer Entertainment.

Sony filed suit against Connectix of San Mateo, California, in
San Francisco federal court for copyright and patent infringements related
to Connectix's Virtual Game Station software.

Connectix today announced it was moving ahead with plans
to ship an updated version of the software nationwide, even though the
first version was only made
available during the Macworld
Expo show early this month.

Roy McDonald, president and CEO of Connectix, said the company believes no
violation of intellectual property rights has occurred in the creation or
marketing of Virtual Game Station. What's at stake, he said, is consumer
choice, noting that his company is "in the business of letting a wider
range of software play on a wider range of hardware platforms."

The $49 program allows Macintosh users to play Sony PlayStation games on
their computers. The product was received enthusiastically at Macworld and
was even touted by interim CEO Steve Jobs during his keynote speech.

In the suit, Sony contends that Connectix's software circumvents the
PlayStation's anti-piracy protection technology for inhibiting the sale and
distribution of counterfeit software. In theory, it would be easier for a
Mac user to play a counterfeit or copied game because of how the Game
Station software works.

This is something that Sony is loath to allow, because developers are
always at risk to lose money from piracy and eventually may be deterred
from making games for the platform--which means Sony loses out on money too.

"We're very committed to preventing piracy," McDonald said. "Version 1.0
prevented people from taking illegal copies [of PlayStation
software] and running them on the Mac. We've increased the security in
the new version," he noted.

While piracy is certainly a big issue for Sony, it's not the only reason
the suit was filed, according to company representatives.

"From the standpoint of this suit, we strongly feel that it is up to the
publisher or developer to have control over where their product goes," the
spokesperson said, citing concerns about the quality of software playback
on the Game Station product.

Connectix maintains that about 80 of more than 500 PlayStation titles can
be used on a Mac with the software, according to its Web site. However,
on occasion, graphics images can appear to skip, and audio reproduction may
not always be accurate.

Sony said it wants to "provide our consumers with the best video gaming
entertainment experience, which is possible only through the PlayStation
game console."

McDonald said he hoped the companies could eventually "in time" work
together in marketing the product.

PlayStation is a cash cow for Sony. The company saw game-related
operating profit rise 33 percent to 78.4 billion yen ($679 million) in the
most recently completed quarter, even as the company posted weak results in other divisions.

With 50.7 million PlayStation consoles shipped worldwide through 1998, the
company holds a commanding lead over rivals Nintendo and Sega in
the $15 billion global market for home video games.